Read Online A Most Curious Murder by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
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eh . . . Dora. Not just for you, but for Jim Weston.”
Dora teared up, and their agreement was set.
Jenny noticed that he limped as he walked toward the door. It wasn’t pity she felt for the man, more interest in the way he wore his past.
With his hand on the door handle, Tony Ralenti turned and caught Jenny watching. “Shot in the knee when I was a cop,” he said. “Nothing I can’t do, though. Just do it a little slower.”
He shrugged, smiled, and was gone.
Dora looked at her daughter. “Well!” was all she said and turned to cover a smile.
***
Zoe came in after dinner with a big “Yoo-hoo! It’s me!”
She sat down, plunked her elbows up on the table, and set her face into her cupped hands. “Chief Warner thinks I killed Adam Cane.”
“Heavens, Zoe. He wouldn’t think that. Why, lifting a hoe over a man’s head—it would take strength. More a man, I’d say.” Dora nodded to prove the rightness of her words.
Zoe pushed up the sleeves of her billowy blouse. She flexed one arm to show a prodigious muscle. “I’m always working in my garden. I’ve got muscles on top of muscles. I saw the chief’s face . . . he thinks I did it, all right. First because I had troublewith Adam over Fida—who still isn’t back.” There was a catch in her throat. “Then Adam was found dead in my garden. ‘It would be so nice if something made sense for a change,’ as Alice said.”
When she turned to face Jenny, her little face was drawn and sad. There were dark circles under her eyes. “I can’t think straight. Not with Fida gone. Where is she? What’d he do to her? You know, with Adam coming over to my house like that, he had to have done something to her.”
Zoe shook her head. “But then, who killed Adam? Who set that tripwire? Maybe the killer took her. Maybe he couldn’t resist a perfect little dog.”
Nobody knew what to say. Jenny got up to fill a bowl with leftover chicken soup and set it in front of Zoe.
She looked down into the bowl, at the couple of pasty noodles floating in it, then picked up her spoon and ate without a single snide remark.
When she’d finished, she set the empty bowl back on the table, nodded to Jenny, and sat back. “I’ve been thinking one awful thought,” she said.
Jenny and Dora waited, expecting a quote straight from Alice’s mouth. Jenny swore she would faint—keel over and hit the floor—at even one more.
“Maybe he killed Fida earlier. She was out from about three on. If he did, she’s probably buried in his yard. But I don’t dare go over there and search. If they caught me . . .”
The straightforward, sensible comment unsettled Jenny.
“Why would he come back later? How would someone know he would be there?” she asked.
“Maybe he forgot something. Maybe he did Fida in with that . . .” Zoe couldn’t say the word.
“Hoe?” Jenny filled in.
Zoe nodded. “And came back to get it. I wish I could go over there. Maybe look in his shed or see if anything’s disturbed in his yard. You know, like something’s been recently buried there.”
They sat and thought a while.
“Guess I could go,” Jenny finally said. “But not until morning. The police should be gone—they keep going in and out. If somebody catches me, I’ll give some wild excuse.”
“You could be over there looking for a book we’re still missing,” Dora offered, followed by a devilish grin and a nod at her most acceptable idea.
“I don’t know.” Zoe sat up straighter. “They might throw you in prison for trespass. Or,” her face wrinkled, “for stepping on weeds that don’t belong to you . . .”
“As I was saying,” Dora went on, giving her daughter a sly little smile, “we don’t know where all the books from the library got to. I mean, there were more books out to readers than I can remember. Books were thrown everywhere. Maybe some were even blown into his backyard. Personally, I think those are fine reasons to search Adam’s
Dora teared up, and their agreement was set.
Jenny noticed that he limped as he walked toward the door. It wasn’t pity she felt for the man, more interest in the way he wore his past.
With his hand on the door handle, Tony Ralenti turned and caught Jenny watching. “Shot in the knee when I was a cop,” he said. “Nothing I can’t do, though. Just do it a little slower.”
He shrugged, smiled, and was gone.
Dora looked at her daughter. “Well!” was all she said and turned to cover a smile.
***
Zoe came in after dinner with a big “Yoo-hoo! It’s me!”
She sat down, plunked her elbows up on the table, and set her face into her cupped hands. “Chief Warner thinks I killed Adam Cane.”
“Heavens, Zoe. He wouldn’t think that. Why, lifting a hoe over a man’s head—it would take strength. More a man, I’d say.” Dora nodded to prove the rightness of her words.
Zoe pushed up the sleeves of her billowy blouse. She flexed one arm to show a prodigious muscle. “I’m always working in my garden. I’ve got muscles on top of muscles. I saw the chief’s face . . . he thinks I did it, all right. First because I had troublewith Adam over Fida—who still isn’t back.” There was a catch in her throat. “Then Adam was found dead in my garden. ‘It would be so nice if something made sense for a change,’ as Alice said.”
When she turned to face Jenny, her little face was drawn and sad. There were dark circles under her eyes. “I can’t think straight. Not with Fida gone. Where is she? What’d he do to her? You know, with Adam coming over to my house like that, he had to have done something to her.”
Zoe shook her head. “But then, who killed Adam? Who set that tripwire? Maybe the killer took her. Maybe he couldn’t resist a perfect little dog.”
Nobody knew what to say. Jenny got up to fill a bowl with leftover chicken soup and set it in front of Zoe.
She looked down into the bowl, at the couple of pasty noodles floating in it, then picked up her spoon and ate without a single snide remark.
When she’d finished, she set the empty bowl back on the table, nodded to Jenny, and sat back. “I’ve been thinking one awful thought,” she said.
Jenny and Dora waited, expecting a quote straight from Alice’s mouth. Jenny swore she would faint—keel over and hit the floor—at even one more.
“Maybe he killed Fida earlier. She was out from about three on. If he did, she’s probably buried in his yard. But I don’t dare go over there and search. If they caught me . . .”
The straightforward, sensible comment unsettled Jenny.
“Why would he come back later? How would someone know he would be there?” she asked.
“Maybe he forgot something. Maybe he did Fida in with that . . .” Zoe couldn’t say the word.
“Hoe?” Jenny filled in.
Zoe nodded. “And came back to get it. I wish I could go over there. Maybe look in his shed or see if anything’s disturbed in his yard. You know, like something’s been recently buried there.”
They sat and thought a while.
“Guess I could go,” Jenny finally said. “But not until morning. The police should be gone—they keep going in and out. If somebody catches me, I’ll give some wild excuse.”
“You could be over there looking for a book we’re still missing,” Dora offered, followed by a devilish grin and a nod at her most acceptable idea.
“I don’t know.” Zoe sat up straighter. “They might throw you in prison for trespass. Or,” her face wrinkled, “for stepping on weeds that don’t belong to you . . .”
“As I was saying,” Dora went on, giving her daughter a sly little smile, “we don’t know where all the books from the library got to. I mean, there were more books out to readers than I can remember. Books were thrown everywhere. Maybe some were even blown into his backyard. Personally, I think those are fine reasons to search Adam’s
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